New tax office for Buff Bay residents

BUFF BAY, PORTLAND:

A new tax office that will serve residents in Buff Bay and its environs in western Portland was declared open on Thursday during a brief ceremony.

The facility is expected to provide a large measure of convenience for users, who were forced to travel more than 14 miles to Annotto Bay in the west or 18 miles to Port Antonio in the east to access the varied service offerings of the Inland Revenue Department.

Member of Parliament for Western Portland and government minister Daryl Vaz, who was accompanied by Commissioner General of Tax Administration Jamaica Ainsley Powell, pointed out that following the closure of the Buff Bay tax office in 2018, attempts had been made to find a suitable alternative location. This, however, took some time due to the challenge in finding an ideal location.

“I am happy to be here today, despite the fact that it has been five years,” commented Vaz.

He added, “Persons were forced to go all the way to Annotto Bay and to Port Antonio, which is both costly in terms of time and money. And of course with this reopening, it will take a lot of stress and pressure off the residents and citizens of Buff Bay, and by extension West Portland”.

“I really want to thank the commissioner general and his team, because I have been at them relentlessly. But to say I am happy is a understatement...even the persons that worked in the tax office, that are from the area, are now back, which, again, is beneficial to them in terms of time and cost of travelling, and, of course, commute on a daily basis.”

Among the service offerings at the new Buff Bay tax office will be processing of certificate of fitness; driver’s licence; motor vehicle registration; transfer of vehicle; property tax; provisional driver’s licence ; substitute motor vehicle title, and taxpayer registration number.

Commissioner General Powell said, “Five years ago we promised the residents of Buff Bay that we were closing the tax office and would reopen in short order. So it’s a pleasure for us to be back in the area, despite the fact that we are thinking of going digital. We know there is a need for face-to-face [interactions]and there is a demand from persons to be in office to deal with their transactions. This space is of a temporary nature, and we are looking at the prospect of putting back on our land an infrastructure that will allow us to operate in this area on a continuous basis.”